Special Festival Promotes The Arts

As many as 200 handicapped children and young adults in Palm Beach County are gearing up for a festival created just for them.

The county`s third annual Very Special Arts Festival is scheduled for Saturday at Santaluces High School in Lantana.

The main purpose of the festival is to introduce the handicapped population to the arts so that they will be aware of their talents and develop their abilities, said Joan Hutchinson, director of Very Special Arts in Palm Beach County.

It also allows the public to learn more about the capabilities of handicapped people, she said.

The event promotes art, dancing and music for handicapped youngsters from 8 to 21 years old.

The event features a touring art exhibit, which includes artwork by Palm Beach County school students with emotional, physical and mental handicaps, Hutchinson said.

Students who contributed work to this year`s exhibit attend Roosevelt Elementary School in West Palm Beach, D.D. Eisenhower Elementary School in Lake Park, the Royal Palm School in West Palm Beach, Coral Sunset Elementary School near Boca Raton and Carver Middle School in Delray Beach.

The entire display contains more than 60 pieces, but only a portion of the works are exhibited at any given location as it tours the county, Hutchinson said.

Part of the exhibit will be shown at the Henry Morrison Flagler Museum in Palm Beach today through Thursday before moving to the festival on Saturday.

In addition to the artwork, Hutchinson said the annual event will feature ``exceptional performing groups,`` such as the deaf choir from the Palm Lakes Baptist Association in West Palm Beach.

A group made up of 13 mentally handicapped people will perform during the festival. Participants range in age from 13 to 42 years old and have been meeting each Wednesday since November for an introduction to various types of art, said Karen Herrick, therapeutic recreational supervisor.

Through the sessions, which are sponsored by the city of West Palm Beach Leisure Services Department, those enrolled have been exposed to everything from painting and weaving to creative writing and dance.

They will present a mime performance to Thank You For Being My Friend, the theme song for television`s Golden Girls.

The entertainment will continue with a modern dance performance by six handicapped adults who have been meeting at the Jupiter Civic Center weekly since January under the instruction of dancer/choreographer Demetrius Klein.

In addition to the contributions by handicapped people, Klein`s dance company, Demetrius A. Klein and Dancers, will present a benefit performance on Friday evening in the high school theater and another performance on Saturday during the festival.